BELMONT – A sudden snowfall that caused the postponement of Belmont Abbey College’s “Senior Day” two weeks ago led to all sorts of logistical problems for the school.

But it also may have helped provided some motivation for this year’s basketball team that has led to Saturday night’s historic 7 p.m. Conference Carolinas tournament title game at Limestone.

While Belmont Abbey seniors missed out on official “Senior Day” activities on Feb. 20 – it postponed them two days – it did allow Crusaders players to spend time with several legendary players in the school’s basketball history.

During “Senior Day” weekend, several former players for Hall of Fame coach Al McGuire during his seven-year tenure at Belmont Abbey were in town to celebrate the life of late former Crusaders guard Bernie “Redzo” Brennan.

Belmont Abbey players have been wearing bright red pregame warmup T-shirts with “Redzo” emblazoned on them throughout this season.

“We’ve talked a lot about legacy with this team, especially with our veteran players,” said Belmont Abbey coach Stephen Miss, whose fourth-seeded team upset top-seeded Barton 105-87 on Thursday night to advance to its third Conference Carolinas tournament title game. “And those ‘Redzo’ guys spend a lot of time with this team that night. I think it meant a lot to our current guys to see what former players remember about their legacy from 50 years ago.”

Brennan’s teams finished their four-year run from 1959-63 with a 58-40 overall record and featured a pair of future NBA players in Danny Doyle and Joe McDermott in addition to winning the school’s first-ever NAIA District 26 title in 1962.

“I think having our guys be around those guys made them want to be able to look at their years by leaving behind their own legacy,” Miss said.

Certainly, wins over Queens and Barton in this week’s league tournament to improve the Abbey’s record to 21-9 gives them the legacy of being the 19th team in school history to win 20 ore more games.

But a win on Saturday would put them in even more rare air in school history.

Only seven previous Crusaders’ teams have won their postseason league tournament, with only two of them coming in the Abbey’s current 24-year association with Conference Carolinas.

“We’re very focused on accomplishing some things that haven’t been done around here in a while,” Miss said. “I think we have confidence because of what we’ve done but we’re also eager because there’s more ahead of us.”

A win Saturday would not only give the Abbey its third Conference Carolinas tournament title – and first since the Crusaders won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003 – but it also would mean an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament that begins next weekend.

“Making the national tournament is always a big deal,” Miss said.

Individual history could also be made tonight.

Senior guard Tyshawn Good, who on Friday became only the fourth two-time first-team All-Conference Carolinas player in Belmont Abbey men’s basketball history, is only 23 points shy of becoming the fifth 2,000-point scorer in Crusaders’ history.

Good, who leads all men’s basketball players in scoring at 27.6 points per game, scored 38 points in Thursday’s upset win at Barton, which was the Abbey first victory over the Bulldogs since 2009 and the first win at Barton since 2006.

The rest of the Abbey’s starting lineup also makes significant contributions this season as former Gaston Day School standout Terrone Sheffey is averaging 13.8 points per game, Jay Council 12.9, Chris Davis 11.4 and Darryl Durham 11.3.

Durham, who also averages a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game, is coming off perhaps the best game of his career (18 points, 16 rebounds) on Thursday.

“Barton takes pride in their defense, so if you can score 105 on them – especially in their gym – you’ve done something,” Miss said. “When Darryl Durham plays at the level he played at (Thursday) night, we’re a different team.”